Pneumatic impulse relay



June 8 9 1926, 1,587,817

A. J. BRQQKINS PNEUMATIC IMPULSE RELAY Filed Se t. 10, 1923' 5Sheets-Shes 1 ANDFJEW J figgrqys. By WNW v A. J. BROOKINS PNEUMATICIMPULSE RELAY June 8,1926. 1,587,817

Filed Sept. 10 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ANDREW J BRUEJKINS. INVENTEIR.

June 8 1926.. 1,587,817

A. J. EROQKINS PNEUMATIC IMPULSE RELAY Filed Sept. 10, 1923 3Sheets-Shea}; 3

H WERE W dTBRwm/vs, I N VE NTOR,

ANDREW J. BROOKINS, OF- CHICAGO, ILLINOIS;

PNEUMATIC IMPULSE RELAY.

Application filed September 10, 1923. Serial No. 661 ,78 7.

This invention relates. to an apparatus for establishing communicationfrom the mad side to a. moving train, at determined intervals, and has apractical application to those types of devices for the intermit tentperformances ot certain functions of the locomotive; such as thelowering of a water scoop, or the transmission of a slgnal 1nd1cationfrom the road side to the locomotive.

Among the objects of the invention are to obtain means-to relay animpulse from a track side to a moving train, either mechanically, orelectrically, or both; to ob- 11 means of establishing intermittentcomniunication between the part of the apparatus on the train and the co-acting part on the road side which is not susceptible to shock; toobtain means to assure operative relation between the part along theroad side and the part on the train, under all conditions of speed,weather, wear, and oscillation; to obtain means for relaying an impulsefrom the road side to the train, either mechanically, orelectrically, orboth, w" h is simple in construction, durable, I sitive in operation,not liable to get out of order, and economical tomaintain; to obtain anapparatus to control car carried equipment, arranged to co-act atdetermined intervals with track side installations whereof the trackside equipment will not intertore with standard clearances of locomotiveand car carried equipment. A further object is to obtain a car carriedmember adapted to co-act with track side members which respectivelyconsist of rigid and flexible or resilient elements; and an additionalobject is to obtain a track. side member oi The kind recited, c mprisingrigid and flea ible or resilient elements.

in the drawings referred to 1 is a vertical. section of an apparatusadapted to be carried by a locomotive or car, embodying the invention,with a shoe and valve torming elements of said apparatus indici'ated bybroken lines ina raised or retracted position; and with a track sidemember and a short section of a track rail in side elevation.

Fig. 2 is vertical section of the track side member and oi a rail of atrack, on line 2 of Fig. 1, viewed as indicated by arrows.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the car carried apparatus, and a sideelevation of the track side member, with the shoe of the; apparatus incontact with the track side member, and showing a side elevation of ashort section of a track rail;'t-he: valve. member of the apparatusbeingraised from normal position by said track side'- member, and the plungermember of the apparatus forced down; and

Fig. 4 18 a vertical section of the apparatus and a side elevation of aportion of the traclrside member, and ashort sectionrof track rail, withthe movable membersof the apparatus. in their respective positions tionindicated by the arrow 2.. 3 represents.

the base of the apparatus, and 45, 4, bolts by means of which baseS isrigidly secured to member 1. 5 represents the shell or case of theapparatus, which is, preferably, integral with base 3. 6 represents acylindrical bushing. in shell 5. 7: represents a plunger or pistonlongitudinallymovable in bushing 6, and hereinafter termed a;

longitudinally movable, member. 8, 8*", respectively represent pistonrings on. longitudinally movable member 7. 9 represents an externallyscrew threaded ring which is secured in shell 5, by said. screw threadsengaging with corresponding screw threads at the lower end of thecylindrical boring in which. bushing 6 is contained. -Ring 9- fitsclosely to longitudinally movable memher 7 to serve as a guide. to saidmember. The upper and. lower ends-of plunger 7 are of less diameter thanthe intermediate por tion. thereof, to obtain annular chambers 10 and1 1. 12 represents a spring. in annular chamber 11, the lower endofwhich abuts against ring 9 and the upper end against shoulder 13 at thejunction of the lower end of smaller diameter with the termediat'eportion of movable member 7. let represents a cylindrical chamber in thelower end of longitudinally movable memher 7.. 15 represents a chamberin bushing 6, between the upper end. of longitudinally movable member 7and: the endof the boring in which; thezbushilng is placed; Chamber 1:";andannular chamber 10 are, at all times in communication. Spring 12yieldingly holds longitudinally movable member 7 in a retracted andnormal position, when air under pressure is not confined in chamber 15,and returns it to normal position when air under pressure contained insaid chamber 15 is released therefrom, as is hereinafter set forth. 16represents a chamber inthe upper end of longitudinally movable member 7.17 represents a pipe or tube the lower end whereof is secured to theupper end of longitudinally movable member 7, as by screw threaded ringor bushing 18. Pipe or tube 17 is, at all times, in communication withchamber 16. 192() represents a valve stem, which is illustrated as oftwo diameters, and 21 represents a cylindrical abutment, preferablyintegral with shoe 27, hereinafter referred to. Cy lindrical abutment 21is longitudinally movable in cylindrical chamber 14. Abutment 21 andshoe 27 are secured on the lower end of part 20 of said valve stem19-20. A valve seat, (23), well illustrated in Fig. 3, is provided atthe bottom or floor of chamber 16, with which valve 22 co-acts and onwhich said valve is normally seated to close communication betweenchamber 16 and annular chamber 24 around part 19 of said valve stem19-20. 25 represents a spring which yieldingly holds valve stem 19-20 innormal position with valve 22 seated. When valve 22 is not seatedchamber 16 is in communication with said annular chamber 24. 26represents a passage way through valve stem 1920, and through valve 22,to communicate with chamber 16. 27 represents a shoe which is rigidlysecured on the lower end of part 20 of valve stem 1920, as hereinbeforerecited. hen said shoe 27 is properly mounted on said part 20 of valvestem 19 -20, it closes the lower end of passage way 26, and when saidshoe is detached from said part 20 of the valve stem, chamber 16 is incommunication with the atmosphere through said passage way 26. 28represents a port in communication with annular chambers 10 and 24. 29represents a port in communication with annular chamber 10, whenlongitudinally movable member 7 is advanced a determined distance inbushing 6, (as in Figs. 3 and 4); and is not in communication with saidannular chamber when longitudinally movable member 7 is in normalposition, (as in Fig. 1). 30 represents a pipe or tube communicatingwith port 29, and adapted to extend to any device operable by air underpressure. 31 represents a track rail. 32 represents a rail forming anelement of a track side installation. 33, 33, represent flexible and resilient members of the track side installa tion. Members 33, 33, areillustrated as embedded in the base 32 of rigid member 32. 34 representsa gland around the vertically movable member 17, to prevent the escapeor leakage of air under pressure from chamber 15. 35 represents an elbowwhich is secured on the upper end of member 17, and 36 represents a pipeor tube which is secured at one end to elbow 35, and communicatestherewith, and which is secured at the opposite end thereof to andcommunicates with a member of the air brake system containing air undertrain pressure. 37 represents a port in longitudinally movable member 7,which is in operable communication with annular chamber 24, when saidlongitudinally movable member is in the position illustrated in Fig. 4,or Fig. 1, and 38 represents a groove in longitudinally movable member7, which is in communication with port 37, and when said movable memberis advanced, into the position illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, saidannular chamber 24, said port 28, and said annular chamber 10, are incommunication with the atmosphere by way of port 37 and groove 38. 39represents an electric conductor which is attached to shell or case 5,as by screw 40. Conductor 39 is used where rigid track side member 32 isdesigned to be electrically energized, to form an element of a trackside electric installation, and in such case conductor 39 extends to acar carried electrically energizable apparatus, of any knownconstruction, thereby transmitting an electric impulse from the trackside installation to said car carried electrically energizableapparatus.

The operation of the apparatus is,when by the movement of a train in thedirection indicated by arrow 2, Fig. 1, the shoe 27 is brought intocontact with resilient members 33 of the track side installation, saidmembore 33, 33, are forced over, by said shoe, and the resilience ofsaid members 33, 33, raises said shoe into substantially the positionindicated by broken linesin Fig. 1; and thereby the valve stem 192O israised, raising valve 22 from seat 23, bringing annular chamber 24 intocommunication with chamber 16, thereby admitting air under trainpressure to said annular chamber 24, and said air thereupon flowsthrough port 28 and annular chamber 10 into chamber 15, at the end oflongitudinally movable member 7, and said movable member is, by saidair, advanced, until shoe 27 is in contact with rigid road side member32, said resilient members 33, 33, being further flexed by the advancemovement of shoe 27 and movable member 7, as is illustrated in Fig. 3,and said shoe remains in said advanced position, in close contact withsaid member 32, until by the continued forward movement of the engine,motor car or train on which the apparatus is mounted, said shoe iscarried beyond said road side member 32, as is illus trated in Fig. 4.hen said shoe is carried beyond said rigid road side member 32 it ismoved or forced to an additional advanced position, by spring 25 inchamber M, as is illustrated in said Fig. l. At said time chan'lber 15being in comn'iunication with annular chamber 10, said annular chamberbeing in communication with annular chamber 24:, by way oi? port 28, andannular chamber 24 being in communication with port 37, and by way ofsaid port with groove 38, the said chamber 15 is in communication withthe atmosphere and the pressure in said chamber 15, because 01" saidcommunication with the atmosphere, is reduced to substantiallyatmospheric pressure, at which time the spring 1 is of sufficientresilience to move the longitudinally movable member 7 back into normalposition, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

It will be observed that when the shoe 2'? leaves the rigid track sidemember 32, the dropping or increased advanced movement of said shoehereinbetore referred to, carries therewith the valve stem ].920, andvalve 22, to Seat said valve on seat 23. While the shoe 2'? is on therigid track side member it is in close contact therewith and, if saidrigid member is electrically energized, the electric current will flowtherefrom into said shoe 27, and therethrough into and throughlongitudinally movable member T and bushing 28, shell or case and byconductor '39 to any suitable electrically energizable apparatus. Also,said shoe 2? being positioned in contact with said road side member 32,

( as illustrated iii-Fig. 3), the chamber is in communication with port-29, by way of annular chamber 10, and air under pressure flows from saidchamber 15 and annular chamber 10, port 29 and pipe or tube 30 to anyapparatus arranged to be actuated by air under pressure, as say, anapparatus to control a water scoop.

Upon the release of air under pressure in clnimber 15, the pressure ofair in pipe or tube 30 is released, by back flow there from through port29, annular chamber 10 and from said chamber 10, through port to annularchamber 2i, through port 37 and groove 38 to the atmosphere.

It will also be observed that rigid track side member 32 is illustratedwith the upper face thereoi below the upper face of track rail 31, andhence any car carried apparatus or device which will pass over a railcross ing will pass over said rigid member, and the resilient members ofthe track side installatirm may be deflected by said our carriedapparatus or device without injury thereto.

it is to be observed that port 37 is not in communication with annularchamber 2-l when movable member 7 is in the position illustrated in Fig.3, and that when said movable member and valve are in the positionsillustrated by full lines in Fig. 1, annular chamber 24 is not incommunication with chamber 16, valve 22 being in normal and seatedposition; however said port 37 is in operative communication withannular chamber 2d when movable member and shoe 27 are in the positionsillustrated in F ig. 4:, with valve 22 seated at which time said port orpassage way 87 is an element of the exhaust passage way from chamber 15.

Ports 28 and 37, respectively, and annular chamber 2%, form passage ways-tor the flow of air therethrough from chamber 15, when said ports arein c'onmiunicati'on with said annular chamber, 24-, with said port notobstructed by part 20 of valve stem 19, 20-, and chamber 15 is then incommunication with the atmosphere.

It will also be observed that when port or passage way 37 incommunication with annular chamber 2% said annular chamber is not incommunication with chamber 16, valve 22 beinlg seated.

I claim:

1. Car carried mechanism comprising a movable member provided with acylindrical passage way therethrough and a chamber at the upper endthereof, an additional ch amber above said movable member, a movablevalve stem arranged to obtain an annular chamber around the upper endthereof, a valve on said stem arranged to control communication betweensaid first chamber and said annular chamber, in combina-tion with a shoesecured to said valve stem, and a port oon'imunicatin'g with saidannular chamber and with said additional chamber, in combination withresilient track side means to yieldingly move said shoe from its normalposition to unseat said valve.

2. In a car carried mechanism, a cylinder, a movable member in saidcylinder arranged to provide a chamber thereover, means to yieldinglyhold said movable member in normal position, a chamber in said movablemember and a cylindrical passage way therethrough, a passage way incommunica tion with said chamber in said movable member, a valvestemmovable in said cylin drical passage way, and a chamber around theupper end of said valve stem, a valve on said stem arranged to controlcommunication between said chamber in said movable member and saidchamber around said valve stem, means to yieldingly hold. said valvenormally seated, a shoe secured to said valve stem, said shoe adapted toco-act with a track side member to move said valve from its normalposition, and a port communicating with said chamber around said valvestem and said chamber above said movable member, all combined as setarea.

ill)

In a car carried mechanism, acylinder, a movable member in'saidcylinder, arranged to obtain a chamber in said cylinder between one endof said member and the corresponding end of said cylinder, means toyieldingly hold said member in normal position, a chamber and anadditional chamher in said movable member, a valve arranged to controlcommunication between said chambers in said movable member, said valvenormally seated, and means to yield ingly hold said valve in said normalposition, a passage way comunicating with said additional chamber andsaid chamber in said cylinder, in combination with means to transmit airunder pressure to said first chamber in said movable member, all anranged so that the movement of said valve from normal position to admitair under pressure from said first chamber in said movable member tosaid additional chamber admits said air to said chamber in saidcylinder, to advance said movable member from its said normal position.

4. In a car carried mechanism, a cylinder, a movable member in saidcylinder arranged to obtain a chamber in said cylinder be tween one endof said member and the corresponding end of said cylinder, means toyieldingly hold said member in normal position, a chamber and anadditional chamber in said movable member, a valve arranged to controlcommunication between said chambers in said movable member, a stem tosaid valve and a shoe on said stem, means to yieldingly hold said valvenormally seated, a passage way communicating with said additionalchamber and with said chamber in said cylinder, in combination withmeans to transmit air under pressure to said first chamber in saidmovable member, and a track side member arranged to co-act with saidshoe to move said valve from normal position, all arranged so that themovement of said valve from normal position to admit air under pressurefrom said first chamber in said movable member to said additionalchamber admits said air to said chamber in said cylinder, to advancesaid movable member from its said normal position.

5. In a railway system, track side members at determined intervals alongthe track way, said track side members respectively having as elementsthereof a plurality of resilient members and a rigid member, incombination with a car carried mechanism comprising a cylinder, amovable member in said cylinder arranged to obtain a chamber in saidcylinder between said movable member and one end of said cylinder, meansto yieldingly hold said member in normal and retracted position, achamber and an additional chamber in said movable member, means toconvey air under pressure to said first chamber in said movable member,a

valve to normally obstruct communication between said last namedchambers and a shoe adapted to co-act with said resilient members tomove said valve from its normal posit-ion, a valve. stem connected tosaid valve and said shoe, and means to convey said air under pressure insaid additional chamber to said chamber in said cylinder, to move saidmovable member to an advanced position; all arranged so that saidadvanced movement forces said shoe in close contact with said rigidmember, and said shoe and said rigid member co-act to maintain saidvalve in said moved position.

6. In a railway system, track side members at determined intervals alongthe track, said tz'aclr side members respectively comprising a pluralityof resilient members and a rigid member, in combination with a carcarried mechanism comprising a cylinder, a movable member in saidcylinder, means to yieldingly hold said member in normal position, andsaid member provided with a chamber and an additional chamber, saidadditional chamber provided with a passage 'ay therefrom, means totransmit air under pressure to said first chamber, a valve arranged tonormally obstruct communication between said chambers, a shoe, aconnection between said valve and said shoe, and said shoe adapted toco-act with said resilient members to move said valve from its normalposition, and said connection arranged to ob struct said passage way onsaid co-action.

7. A track side member and in combination therewith car carriedmechanism comprising a shoe adapted to co-act with said track sidemember, a cylinder, a movable member in said cylinder, a chamber and anadditional chamber in said movable member, a valve arranged to normallyobstruct communication between said chambers, means comprising air underpressure and said track side member to yieldingly hold said movablemember in an advanced position, a passage way from said additionalchamber, means controlled by said shoe and said track side member toobstruct said passage way on the movement of said valve from normalposition, said valve arranged to return to normal position on thedisengagement of said shoe and said track side member, and said means toobstruct adapted to be moved from obstructing position on the return ofsaid valve to normal position, and yielding means to return said movablemember to normal position and to yieldingly maintain it in said normalposition.

8. A track side member consisting of a plurality of resilient membersand a rigid member, in combination with car carried mechanism comprisinga cylinder, a movable member in said cylinder, means to yielding- 1yhold said movable member in normal position, a chamber and an additionalchamber in said movable member, means to transmit air under pressure tosaid first-chamber, a valve arranged to normally obstruct communicationbetween said chambers, a shoe, a connection between said shoe and saidvalve, and said shoe adapted to co-act with said resilient members tomove said valve from its normal position andfto co-act with said rigidmember to maintain it in said moved position, and means comprising airunder pressure, to move said movable member to an advanced position onsaid movement oi said valve, said additional chamber provided with apassage way therefrom, said passage way adapted to communicate with theatmosphere on said advanced movement of said movable member, saidconnection controlled by said shoe and said rigid track side member toobstruct said passage way.

9. A track side member in combination with a car carried mechanismcomprising a shoe adapted to co-act with said track side member, acylinder, a movable member mounted in said cylinder and arranged toobtain a chamber between said movable member and the end of saidcylinder, means to yieldingly hold said movable member in a normalposition and when moved therefrom to return it thereto, a. chamber andan additional chamber in said movable member, means to transmit airunder pressure to said first chamber in said movable member, a valvemember controlled by said shoe and said track side member, to controlcommunication between said chambers in said movable member, meanscontrolled by said valve and comprising air under pressure in saidchamber in said cylinder to yieldingly force said movable member to anadvanced position, a passage way from said additional chan'iber, saidpassage adapted to be in communication with the atmosphere on saidadvanced movement of said movable member, means controlled by said shoeand said track side member to obstruct said passage way, said controlledmeans arranged to be moved from obstructing position when said valve isin normal position; all arranged so that said air in said chamber insaid cylinder and in said additional chamber will exhaust from saidpassage way on the movement 01" said valve to its normal position on themovement said shoe from said track side member, and said exhaustpermitting said yielding means to return said movable member to normalposition.

10. In a railway system, a track way, a rigid member parallel with saidtrack way, and car carried mechanism provided with a movable member inspaced relation wit-h said rigid member, in combination with a pluralityof resilient members, said resilient members arranged to initiateoperation of said movable member to obtain operative relation betweensaid car carried mecha nism. and said rigid member, and ='11'1cans tore-establish said spaced relation. ,on 'theidiscontinuance of saidoperative relation.

. 11. In railway system comprising track way, rigid members atdetermined intervals parallel with said track way "and in spacedvertical relation thereto, a car carried mechanism comprising-a movaxblemember in spaced relation to said rigid members, in combination with aplurality oi track side resilient members, means whereby said resilientmembers co -act with said movable member to initiate operation of saidcar carried mechanism to move said movable member to change itssp-acedrelation and. to co-act with said rigid members and means tore-establishV-saidspaced relation of said movable member to said rigid members onthe discontinuance of said co-action between said movable member'andsaid rigid members,

1.2.Isa railway system, a track way, rigid members atdetermined"intervals parallel with the track way, 'car carried mechanismnormally in inoperative relation to said rigid members, in combinationwith a plurality of resilient members, means operative whereby saidresilient members initiate operation of said car carried mechanism toobtain operative relation between said car carried mechanism and saidrigid members, and means whereby said inoperative relation isre-established on the discontinuation of said operative relation.

13. In a. railway system, a track way, a track side rigid member inspaced relation to said track way, a car carried mechanism in spacedrelation to said rigid member, in combination with a plurality of trackside resilient members in operative relation with said car carriedmechanism, all arranged so that said resilient members initiateoperation oi? said car carried mechanism to reduce said spaced relation.

14:. In a rail way system, a track way, a stationary rigid memberparallel with the track way and car carried mechanism in. spacedrelation with said track way, in combination with a plurality ofstationary resilient members, said resilient members arranged to coactwith said car carried mechanism to initiate operation of said carcarried mechanism to obtain operative relation between said car carriedmechanism and said rigid member.

15. In a railway system, a track way, rigid members at determinedintervals parallel with the track way, car carried mechanism in spacedrelation with said track way, in combination with a plurality ofresilient members inv operative position with respect to said carcarried mechanism whereby said resilient members initiate operation ofsaid oar carried mechanism to obtain operative relation between said carcarried mechanism and said rigid members.

16. Car carried mechanism, in combination with a track side memberhaving as elements thereof a plurality of resilient members and a rigidmember, all co-related so that operation of said car carried,

mechanism is initiated by said resilient members to obtain coactingoperation between said car carried mechanism and said rigid member.

17. Car carried mechanism in combina tion with a track side memberhaving as elements thereof, a plurality of resilient membersand a rigidmember, all co-related so that operation of said car carried mechanismis initiated by said resilient members and the period of said operationis controlled by said rigid member.

18. Car carried mechanism anda rigid track side member, said car carriedmechanism in in-operative relation to said rigid member, in combinationwith a plurality of track side resilient members, positioned to obtainoperative relation between said car carried mechanism and said rigidmember.

19. Car carried mechanism comprising a movable member, provided with achamber and an additional chamber, a valve arranged to normally obstructcommunication between said chambers, and a stem to said valve incombination with a shoe secured on said stem, said stem provided with apassage way therethrough and through said Valve, whereby when said shoeis removed from said stem said first chamber is in communication withthe atmosphere.

20.'Car carried mechanism comprising a movable member and an additionalmovable member, in combination with a track side installation comprisinga plurality of resilient members and a rigid member, said movable andadditional movable member normally in inoperative relation to said rigidmember, and said resilient members in operative relation to said firstmovable member to initiate movement of said additional member toestablish operative rela tion between said first member and said rigidmember.

ANDREW J. BROOKINS.

